It鈥檚 been 20 years since Rabbi Deborah Schuldenfrei was ordained, and
during that time she has instructed nearly every kind of Jew, from children and seekers to adult scholars and elders. A year from now, she will become the senior rabbi of her first congregation, Kol Tikvah, Woodland Hills, succeeding the retiring Rabbi Jon Hanish.
Personable, accessible and outgoing, Rabbi Schuldenfrei, sitting behind her Kol Tikvah desk, explained how she arrived here: 鈥淢y parents modeled for me what it means to be part of a community.鈥� That was just the first inspiration. Raised in a Conservative/Conservadox home in Milwaukee, she went to day school, to camp, and was very involved in BBYO (B鈥檔ai B鈥檙ith Youth Organization). 鈥淭hat was big,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 spent a lot of time in Israel, my summers there as a teenager.鈥�
But none of this explained why this curious teenager was drawn to the rabbinate, where women were flatly barred until the 1970s.听 To start, she said 鈥淚 had to be able to imagine what a rabbi looked like.鈥� But there were no female mentors in the Midwest. And members of her congregation didn鈥檛 support it. 鈥淲omen were not allowed to count in a minyan. That didn鈥檛 happen until after I was ordained [in 2006].鈥滲ut importantly, her parents supported her ambitions.
In the summer of 2000, after graduating from Washington University in St. Louis,听 she came to Southern California to study at the Brandeis Collegiate Institute (BCI) in the Simi Valley. 鈥淎t BCI, I met a woman who was a rabbi, Shawn Fields-Meyer, and I met a rabbinic student. Those experiences just expanded my capacity to understand what [the rabbinate]could look like. This experience led me in the direction of 91传媒 education and 91传媒 leadership.鈥� BCI, she said 鈥渢ruly was trans-denominational and pluralistic鈥� It has a special place in my heart.鈥�
BCI was not going to be the last stop for the determined young woman; she wanted to attend graduate school for 91传媒 Educational Leadership. Surveying the landscape, it became clear to her that Hebrew Union College 鈥渉ad the strongest program for educational leadership. At the time, it was the only program that required a year in Israel for 91传媒 educators.鈥� She was determined to be 鈥渁n educational leader, not only a teacher.鈥�
Schuldenfrei wanted a rounded education, something which she said was reinforced by her 鈥渧ery pluralistic鈥� upbringing. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know you couldn鈥檛 be pluralist,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know why you would ever think of yourself as so segmented in your movement.鈥�
Aliyah, of course, is on the minds of many Jews once in Israel.听 Schuldenfrei went in June of 2000. In October, there was the Second Intifada. 鈥淚t was a formative time for me and for the 91传媒 people鈥檚 understanding and relationship with Israel,鈥� said Rabbi Schuldenfrei. 鈥淚 always considered Aliyah.鈥�
This is not her first go-round with the Kol Tikvah community. Three years ago, before the High Holy Days, the congregation鈥檚 rabbi, Jon Hanish, suddenly became ill. 鈥淭hey hired me as the interim because it was six weeks before the High Holidays,鈥� Rabbi Schuldenfrei said. 鈥淚 jumped right in and spent six months. The good news is Jon got better.鈥�
Looking back at the path that led her here, Rabbi Schuldenfrei said, 鈥淚 have had very diverse 91传媒 educational and 91传媒 leadership positions in my career.鈥� She has served as Head of School at a day school (Valley Beth Shalom), taught adult and children’s education, children, been part of nonprofits, was a founding education leader at IKAR when she still was a student and led the Graduate School at HUC preparing day school teachers for their work and their California credential.
鈥淭hose are all very different jobs. But at the core of it for me it鈥檚 the same, and I am passionate about all facets of it.鈥� She took some years to raise a family, she said, 鈥渢hree incredible sons, 18, 16, 14.鈥�听 All the while she raised them, she worked here and there. 鈥淵es, it has been a singular path with facets, with roads to alternative rabbinic jobs.鈥�
Which isn鈥檛 to say it was an easy ride. 鈥淲hen I was working in education,鈥� she said, 鈥減eople would say 鈥榃hen are you going to be a real rabbi?鈥� They would really say that.鈥�
To some Jews, the only 鈥渞eal鈥� rabbi is on the pulpit. 鈥淭hat is most peoples鈥� vision of a real rabbi,鈥� she said, 鈥渆ven though rabbis serve in so many important and diverse roles in the 91传媒 community. I never have felt particularly tied to one or another. All of these roles have been enriching 鈥� both educationally and spiritually. I always have felt nourished and interested.鈥�
Fast Takes with Rabbi Schuldenfrei
91传媒 Journal:What is your favorite memory?
Rabbi Schuldenfrei: Family vacations to Florida in winter.
J.J.: Your favorite off-time activity?
R.S.: The beach.
J.J. Your favorite Shabbos moment?
R.S.: The aroma of the match after it鈥檚 struck lighting the candles.
